N Carolina GOP requesting church records -- they're at it again

[CatWoman]

The North Carolina Republican Party asked its members this week to send their church directories to the party, drawing furious protests from local and national religious leaders.

"Such a request is completely beyond the pale of what is acceptable," said the Rev. Richard Land, head of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

During the 2004 presidential race, the Bush-Cheney campaign sent a similar request to Republican activists across the country. It asked churchgoers not only to furnish church directories to the campaign, but also to use their churches as a base for political organizing.

The tactic was roundly condemned by religious leaders across the political spectrum, including conservative evangelical Christians. Ten professors of ethics at major seminaries and universities wrote a letter to President Bush in August 2004 asking him to "repudiate the actions of your re-election campaign," and calling on both parties to "respect the integrity of all houses of worship."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/17/AR2006021701978.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. I'm shocked that the GOP is doing it because it means that they

have no regard for the law. I say it's time to start taking the tax exemption from those right-wing churches.

[Selatius]

2. You can't blame the churches on this particular case.

All they are doing is asking Republicans who attend these churches to give them a list of names of fellow neighbors who also attend these churches in order to better identify potential Republican voters.

This is not illegal. Whether it's ethical or moral is a different story. It would be illegal if the churches themselves handed over the information.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. I can blame the churches if the churches agree to do it.

They should know better and realize they're putting themselves in jeopardy. Besides, the article implies that there is more than just handing over lists of names.

I'm shocked the GOP can't get those lists from Choicepoint.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

3. I'm not shocked the GOP has no regard for the law.

[gordianot]

4. "It has only just begun."

At some point the Democratic leadership needs to admit that this is not life as we knew it. Yes even our Churches, Synagogues, Temples, and Mosques are no longer safe. Could it be the GOP is interested only in Churches? Wonder what plans they have for the rest?